“Real Rotarians” and a club “full of ’em”

November 6, 2007 : Rotarian Kyra Morris started off this energizing meeting with a challenge to our club to become “real Rotarians.” Kyra spoke passionately about the Rotary Foundation and continually referred back to the true object of Rotary. Through a well laid out presentation, Kyra helped us understand the impact of the Rotary Foundation both locally and globally. Several of us were surprised to hear about the extent of matching funds available and also the far-reaching implications of our dollars. To emphasize Kyra’s challenge, John Bleeker discussed different ways to give to the Foundation and laid out his goals for our club: to have 100% of our club be counted as Sustaining Members ($100/ year) and to catch up with other local clubs, which are significantly smaller than ours, and be recognized as a “Star” Club. He explained that, in order to become a Two Star Club (the lowest level of recognition) our club should have contributed about $50,000 in the 2006-2007 Rotary year. Instead, our giving totaled $31,363.66 which was woefully short. In order to become a Two Star Club, we would need a $200 per capita donation. He then introduced Danya Jordan of Water Missions International.

Danya captivated our group immediately with a striking photograph of a young girl named Jaqueline carrying a five gallon jug of water on her head. She then held up a bottle of murky brown water and explained that the water Jaqueline walks four miles a day to bring home for her family’s daily needs is as contaminated and dirty as the water in the bottle. Danya taught us that 1.1 billion people do not have access to clean water and that every 15 seconds, 1 out of 5 children dies from a water bourn illness. Water Missions International (founded by Rotarians George and Molly Greene) has provided over 438 water systems to 31 countries around the world. Their “Living Water” treatment systems have saved the lives of countless people who did not have access to clean water prior to the intervention of Water Missions. Danya encouraged us to help in three ways: By volunteering, by participating in Operation Round Up, and by utilizing the funds available for the Water Project match. If our club were to donate $5,000 the district would match our funds dollar for dollar bringing our impact to $10,000. Rotary International would then match District Funds dollar for dollar and provide a 50 cent match for local funds. This would turn our $5000 into $17,500!

Our support could have far-reaching effects. Water Missions is not only committed to providing disaster relief, they are building communities and training them in health and hygiene along with providing for spiritual growth.

Danya left us with the following thought: Man can live for almost one month without food but will live for less than a week without water.

Submitted by Angie Johnson, Keyway Committee